


Childhood Memories

by QuickSilverFox3



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd Needs a Hug, F/M, Gen, Good Parent Jeralt Reus Eisner, Jeralt Reus Eisner Lives, Temporary Amnesia, accidental injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 14:13:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20640497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickSilverFox3/pseuds/QuickSilverFox3
Summary: Byleth's head injury has more severe consequences than Dimitri could have ever realised





	Childhood Memories

"Professor?" 

Dimitri was going to die. He had been exposed to that reality at a far earlier age than he would wish on anyone: the sheer ease with which a sharp blade could cut through flesh, blood bright before it mingled with the dirt; the screams of men as they burned and died, unable to fight back amid their own agony; the emptiness of unstaring unblinking eyes. It had still seemed so far away despite himself, the reality inching closer with every stab of his spear, every beast whose claws raked across his armour. But now?

"Professor?"

Now Dimitri's death was so close he could almost see it. It stood slightly shorter than himself but broader, with dirty blonde hair and scuffed armour that bore the scars of its many years of use out on the battlefield, and was in the form of Jeralt Eisner, Blade Breaker, currently striding across the courtyard towards the unconscious form of his only daughter.  
Byleth didn't stir, her only movement the gentle rise and fall of her chest, a faint flush in her pale cheeks. In any other circumstance, she could be sleeping, a true fairy-tale princess, just missing her glass coffin. But the sound of Dimitri's lance colliding with the side of her head, the dull hollow thunk it made; the crash of metal as Byleth crumpled to the ground, all air punched out of her lungs in a gasp, rang in his ears. Dedue was hovering just over his shoulder, broad shoulders almost blocking out the high afternoon sun, Mercedes crouched next to the Professor, bag opened with mechanical efficiency, some foul-smelling herbs crushed between her fingers and waved under Byleth's nose to currently no avail.  
"What happened?" Jeralt knelt next to him, fingers digging into Byleth's neck reflexively as the other hand hovered over her mouth. The tension in his muscles released all at once, sending him sagging into Dimitri's side for a brief moment, love clear in Jerlat's features as he scooped her up, thanking Mercedes as he did so, setting off at a brisk walk towards the infirmary, Mercedes hot on his heels. Dimitri forced himself to relax, deliberately rounding his back, resting against the bulk of Dedue, shielding him from the world for just a few seconds longer.

"Her heart wasn't beating Dedue," Dimitri whispered, hands curling into fists around his cloak, "I thought I killed her."  
"Her father seemed unconcerned," Dedue pointed out, as calm as ever, and Dimitri felt himself relaxing despite himself. Jeralt seemed fine, and then the Professor would be back in class, and he could apologise properly.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

"Professor Blade Breaker?"  
Jeralt grunted in response, tugging on his hair with one hand as the other ran down Byleth's neat notes, pages and pages covered in her careful block handwriting.   
Anette fiddled with one of her plaits, almost vibrating out of her seat with nerves before she tried again, "Is Professor Byleth okay?"

If Dimitri could sink any further underneath the desk then he would, halted only by Ingrid's stern glare burning a hole in the back of his head and Sylvain grinning almost wolfishly over Felix's head, the other boy resting his chin on the desk, eyes half lidded. 

"Kid's fine," Jeralt said brusquely, "Was complaining about you all slipping behind in your training, so I'm here to make sure you don't."  
Sylvain’s head went down, Felix's head rose up, stars appeared in Ashe's eyes as he sat up even straighter. Dimitri pulled in a breath he was unaware he was holding, hands trembling even as he dug his fingers into his knees. The professor was okay, the hisses in his ears could recede slightly, the heavy burden he placed on his own shoulders lightening. She was going to be okay. She would be back to class soon.

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶

Dedue was difficult to sneak away from in the best circumstances. Dimitri was so tired, eyelids drooping despite himself whenever he took a second to pause, eyes scanning the shadows of the monastery for his hypervigilant bodyguard. It had been a month, days slipping by treacherously slow, and still Byleth hadn't returned to class. Dimitri had to know what he had done, the guilt heavy in his chest, robbing him of his sleep, tormenting him every waking second of the day and sending him screaming into wakefulness.   
The infirmary was silent and still, Manuela drinking away her sorrows in the village tavern, supported by Shamir and Catherine. Dimitri gently nudged the door shut behind him, arms trembling with the effort not to run across the floor to the door where he knew Byleth was resting, but he pushed it down. He wouldn't- couldn't harm Byleth again. It would break him, smother this tiny speck of hope in his chest.

Dimitri froze, hand on the doorknob. What was that sound? A cool breeze whistled past him, goose bumps erupting in its wake. He had to.

The private room was small, a single bed with a dresser on the far wall. Byleth was curled up, face slack in sleep, a tattered and beat up toy horse clutched to her chest. Dimitri took half a step forward despite himself, relief flooding through his system, head spinning. Byleth's eyes shot open, sitting bolt upright in bed and staring straight at him, her expression blank.  
"Professor? Are you well?"  
Byleth hugged the toy horse closer, wriggling up the bed as she stared up at Dimitri, chewing on one of the horse's ears.  
"Daddy! There's a strange man in my room!" she yelled, slipping a sword out of the gap between the pillows and pointed it at Dimitri with no hesitation and no remembrance in her eyes.  
What was going on?


End file.
